Should I launch a podcast or not?

Podcasting is a blend of traditional broadcast journalism and modern digital storytelling. Because of that, podcast listeners have different motivations and demographics than average news consumers. Before adding audio to your newsroom, it is important to understand who listens to podcasts and why.

This guide effectively summarizes the key concepts and data you need to understand to start a podcast. Because podcast listening data is not specific to news, this data must be compared to who you already know visits your website and reads your products. Nearly a quarter of all Americans now listen to a podcast each month. That opportunity grows among an audience of younger and more affluent consumers. Podcasting as a medium is a way to connect with people who are willing to take several hours each week listening to podcasts. But this data also shows they are likely to engage with a podcast that is high quality and relevant, reinforcing the need to only product a podcast if you’re confident it can compete for people’s time.